FORMER Ryedale apprentice Sammy Jo Bell proved to be a real Leger Legend when she beat some top former riders to land the Mondialiste Leger Legends Classified Stakes at Doncaster on Wednesday.

Bell, who was apprenticed to Richard Fahey, triumphed in a race with an illustrious history for recent winners include the great Sir Anthony McCoy, classic-winning rider Joseph O'Brien and northern ace Brian Harding.

Riding Dubai Acclaim for her former boss, Bell sent her mount on coming to the final furlong, but there was precious little in it at the finish for she held on by a short head from the recently-retired jump jockey Noel Fehily riding Hammer Gun for trainer Derek Shaw.

It was a really well deserved win for the former Malton apprentice who called time on her riding career early in 2018 having ridden 82 winners including 10 in Ireland and 51 for Fahey.

She was only the second female to win the Doncaster race, the other being the American Julie Kron, and afterwards she said: "I really enjoyed that. I went to the front a bit too soon but that was probably excitement but I managed to hold on, just.

"It was great that Richard gave me one to ride in the race and I felt I've paid him back by making it a winner."

Bell, 28, together with her partner Phil Makin, who suffered a career-ending fall at Redcar last August, is now training near Easingwold and she said: "I missed race riding but I am not tempted by a comeback. Although I ride out every day I'm certainly not as fit as I used to be and I didn't prepare as well for the race as I wanted to.

Her partner added: "She said she was going to do this and that and have spells on the mechanical horse but I haven't seen her do anything like that! Still she gave the horse a lovely ride and she deserved her win."

The highlight of Bell's riding career came in 2015 when she represented the girls in the annual jockeys' team competition at Ascot known as the Shergar Cup.

Not only was she on the winning team she won two races and so took the 'Golden Saddle' for the most successful rider of the day.

However, less than a year after that she suffered serious pelvic injuries when a horse reared over on her in the paddock at Carlisle. During her recovery she spent eight weeks in a wheelchair and was out of action for 10 months.

Her decision to retire last year came as a surprise to Fahey who on Wednesday said: "That was brilliant. I am delighted for Sammy. I was very surprised when she came to tell me that she was going to stop race riding, In fact I was very disappointed, but looking back, she probably did the right thing."

FAHEY was one of only two winning Ryedale trainers at the four-day Doncaster St Leger meeting with his other success coming from Bravo Faisal in the Pepsi Max Nursery over seven furlongs.

By that fine sire Kodiac, Bravo Faisal had shown improved form since being sent handicapping with two good runs on the all-weather course at Newcastle, winning on the first occasion and finishing second on the other.

Even so he was sent off at 10-1 for Wednesday's race, but in the hands of Malton rider Paul Hanagan he landed the £11,000 plus first prize by half a length from the Newmarket-trained favourite Hariboux.

The other winning Ryedale trainer at Doncaster was Westow-based Paul Midgley who sent out Saluti to win Thursday's Silk Series Lady Riders Series Handicap.

Although he had been placed on four occasions Saluti went into the race without a win in 2019, but well ridden by professional rider Georgia Cox, who is based with William Haggas, he gave his trainer his second win in the race when getting home by a neck from Nigel Tinkler's representative Athollblair Boy in an all-Ryedale finish.

IT is the dream of any race sponsor to win his own money back and that dream turned to reality on Saturday for owner Steve Parkin when his Space Traveller won the Group 2 Boomerang Stakes at Leopardstown a race that was sponsored by his own company, Clipper Logistics.

A son of Bated Breath, Space Traveller is trained by Richard Fahey and wasn't a cheap buy as he cost his owner 85,000 gns as a yearling. But he has proved something of a bargain for he won his first two races as a two-year-old and has fared even better this season winning the Group 3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and then adding another £118,00 to his career earnings with a game success in Saturday's mile contest.

Partnered by Irish rider Billy Lee, he faced no easy task for not only did he have fellow Ryedale horse Suedois against him he also had a trio of Aidan O'Brien runners.

But Saturday was his day, and coming with a long, late run up the Leopardstown straight he got home by half a length from the Mark Johnston-trained Matterhorn.

Afterwards his owner said: "We have been running him over six and seven furlongs but he's a miler all day long, and he proved that today. We rode him like that when he won the Jersey Stakes."

Fahey said on Sunday that after the race Space Traveller received an invitation to compete in the valuable Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita, California in November and that is now his main target.

He added: "When I was riding went over there for a fortnight to ride track work but ended up staying for five months. It will be great to go back there."

It wasn't such a great race for jockey Danny Tudhope, who rides most of Parkins horses and partnered Space Traveller to win at Royal Ascot, but on this occasion he was on the David O'Meara-trained Suedois, who finished fourth.

Richard Fahey also enjoyed a fine couple of days at Chester with Noble Prospector and Megan Nicholls making it two wins in a row in the Depridge Capital Handicap on Friday, and Gabrial The Tiger and Gabrial The Wire giving him two more winners for local owner Dr Marwan Koukash on Saturday.

Fahey's best chance of the weekend looked to be the juvenile Mighty Spirit who was sent off at 2-5 to win the EBF FIllies Conditions event for juveniles at Musselburgh but proved no match for Band Practice who ironically runs in the Clipper Logistics colours of Steve Parkin and is trained for him by Lambourn-based Archie Watson.

THE best news last week was the improvement in the condition of trainer Harriet Bethell who had been in a critical condition in an induced coma at Hull Royal Infirmary since taking a fall at home.

She is well-known in Malton having worked for many years for Brian Ellison, and though it has been touch and go for her for several weeks, she has now regained consciousness, is talking a little and is making slow but steady progress.